Hey babes! Back with another for ya! Had to do a bit of adjusting on this one because I realized upon review that I'd made a few continuity errors, but all should be good now.

Enjoy!

*November 5, 2020*

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? It's only been a couple of days."

Clarke sighs heavily as she climbs out of Bellamy's car, slipping her backpack on and closing the door. She smiles at her best friend over the roof of the car. "Yes, I'm sure I'm fine." Deep down she knows he means well, constantly checking on her, she just hopes he doesn't go overboard in the coming months. "It's just school. Principal Diyoza already knows, so if I start to feel sick at any point, I can go to the nurse's office and the school will call Marcus to have him come pick me up if it gets too bad."

Bellamy shifts on his feet. "Well, you know I could always just—"

She shakes her head. "No. You are not going to miss out on classes just to take me home. I can't ask you to do that."

He shrugs. "You wouldn't be asking."

"Still. That's not happening. But you were able to switch shifts on Saturday to come with me to my ultrasound, right? It's my first one and I'm kind of nervous about it."

He smiles softly and nods. "Of course. There's no way I'm missing it."

"Good. Now come on."

She meets him around the front of the car and then they make their way up to the school like they do every day. Every single day they ride to school together, drop Octavia off at her school on the way, and then chat with each other as they head into their own school. She'll greet her fellow students as they walk, and usually, they'll greet her back with smiles and waves. Sometimes hugs. It's the same routine. It never changes.

But today is different. The atmosphere as they walk across the lot feels way different. The students aren't greeting her with smiles and hugs today. Instead, she's met with scrutinizing gazes and whispered conversations. Conversations that are all happening between students who are looking directly at her.

She instinctively pulls her jacket tighter around her body, crossing her arms over her chest in the hope of hiding her abdomen. Logically she knows she isn't showing yet, there's no baby bump in sight for anyone to pick up on, but it doesn't stop the sinking feeling she gets in the pit of her stomach.

No one else should know yet, no one in her school should have found out. She knows Finn wouldn't say anything, he doesn't even want the kid, though he might say something if he were trying to ruin her life. She knows Bellamy would never say anything to anyone without her explicit permission, not even his mom or sister. Murphy might have let something slip if he were drunk off his ass, but most people take the things he says soberly with a grain of salt anyway, so chances are slim anyone would take him seriously while drunk.

Principal Diyoza would never say anything; she's made it clear that she values her student's safety and well-being above all else. Marcus probably wouldn't, he's not the gossiping type, and he's always respected her privacy (it's one of the major reasons she began to trust him). Her mom probably doesn't care enough to tell anyone, too focused on her job to think about her personal life.

"Hey, Clarke, is it true you got knocked up?"

Her eyes involuntarily fill with tears and she tries to fight them back, looking at the kid in front of her—he's a freshman, she thinks, another one who's always trying to act cooler than he is. She shakes her head, her voice barely above a whisper, "What?"

Bellamy steps in front of her and carefully pushes the boy away. "Move. Now."

The boy holds his hands up and walks away laughing, disappearing into the crowd.

Clarke looks up at Bellamy, his face blurry. "How did he know? Does anybody else know? I didn't want anyone else to know yet. I had...I had a plan, Bellamy. I had a plan for how I was going to tell people. I was going to tell all of our friends first. It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

Bellamy's hands on her shoulders help ground her, but everything is starting to spin and it's getting harder to breathe. Her stomach churns but she fights against it, she can't get sick in the middle of the school hallway. She closes her eyes tightly and lowers her head until it stops against Bellamy's chest, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around his torso as she silently cries.

One of his hands rubs up and down her back, helping to soothe her, and he doesn't say a thing. He doesn't need to, though, he never needs to. Him just being there is more than enough for her.

When she's finally stopped crying, she steps back and wipes at her eyes, breathing deeply. Her breaths are shaky, naturally, but she manages to get herself somewhat back under control.

"You good?" Bellamy asks her, his head ducked down slightly to look at her.

She nods. "Yeah. I'm good. I just wasn't expecting that kid's question. Or to freak out like that."

"Hey," he says softly, "no one's going to hold it against you. Do you think you're ready to face our friends right now, though? Or do you want to head straight to your first class? If that random freshman knows, then chances are high that our friends do too."

Her lips pull down. "I know. I just hope they aren't mad that I kept this from them."

"I think if anything, they're going to be concerned about you and how you're doing," he tells her.

She breathes deeply and nods. "Yeah, you're right. Okay, I think I'm ready."

"Good. Just stick close to me and try to ignore everyone else."

"Easier said than done," she mumbles when she notices a few students staring at her.

They start walking down the hall again toward the cafeteria, one of Bellamy's arms wrapped around her shoulders to keep her close to him. She keeps her head down as best she can, but it's hard to do when she can hear the whispers coming from every direction. So she stands as close to Bellamy as she possibly can as if just his presence alone will keep everyone away from her. She wouldn't be surprised if it ended up working.

When they reach the cafeteria doors, they make a beeline for their table, all their friends already sitting there doing their best to fend off other students. She can hear questions with varying degrees of intrusiveness being fired off, mostly about her. Though there are a few that she can hear that include Bellamy in some way.

"That's enough!" Murphy shouts, standing from his chair with a seething look as he glances at all of the students. "If you aren't a usual occupant of this table, or Zoe, leave. Before I beat every single one of you to a pulp."

It takes a few seconds, but then all the students start moving away, grumbling to themselves and sending glares in Murphy's direction. No one's ever sure if he'll actually follow through on his threats of violence, but after what happened to Finn, the other students are a lot more convinced now than they ever were before.

She's only somewhat surprised that her friends don't start hounding her as soon as she sits down. She's able to get comfortable in her seat with her bag on the table and Bellamy at her side before the questions start. Thankfully not all at once.

"Um, Clarke?" Jasper speaks up from the other side of the table, fidgeting in his seat. "Is...is it true? What everyone's saying?" He glances from side to side before leaning forward and lowering his voice. "Are you...you know?"

She raises a brow. "Am I pregnant?"

His eyes go wide for a split second and then he nods.

She lets out a heavy breath and nods, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I am. I'm not entirely sure how far along I am, though if I had to guess, it'd be around two months. And yes, to answer everybody's next question, it's Finn's. But he doesn't want anything to do with any of this, so he's out of the picture now."

Zoe frowns deeply. "Is that why you two broke up? Because he doesn't want the baby?"

"Part of it. I also found out he was cheating on me, except I was the other woman in the scenario. Which really, really sucks." She swallows back the tears that are threatening to spill over.

"We're sorry you had to go through that," Nate speaks up. "But were you planning on telling us eventually?"

She nods. "Absolutely. The risk of miscarriage is still relatively high right now so I wasn't planning on saying anything to anyone else until I got into the second trimester where the risk is a lot lower."

"So you're keeping the baby, then?" Monty asks her.

Her hands fall to her still-flat stomach and she gives her friends a small smile and nods. "Yeah, I am. I know it's completely unexpected and I'm still in high school and it's not going to be easy, but I want this baby. I just...I hope you guys can support me in this."

"Clarke," Harper says, grabbing one of her hands and squeezing tightly as she smiles, "of course we're going to support you. I know I can't exactly speak for everyone else, but I think we're all in the same boat with this. You're our friend and we love you. And we're going to love this baby too."

Clarke smiles at each of her friends around the table, their faces just barely visible through her tears. She lets out a watery laugh as she wipes at her eyes. "Damn hormones. I'm not even that far along yet but they're already getting to me." She finishes wiping the tears away the best she can and then takes a deep breath. "Can I ask you guys something? How did you all find out? Because I know for a fact that the only people who knew before this were Bellamy, my parents, Principal Diyoza, Murphy, and Finn. And Murphy only knows because he figured it out on his own."

"We don't know how it got started," Monty tells her. "I think I heard that it might have started at a different school and then made its way here."

Clarke's brows furrow tightly. "Why would a rumor about me being pregnant start at a different school? Do you know what school it was?"

"I think it was Finn's school, actually," Harper tells her with an apologetic smile. "But you said that he doesn't want this so it doesn't make sense for him to have told anyone."

Clarke's stomach drops and her body stiffens. "No, he probably wouldn't. But I don't know his other ex-girlfriend. I don't know what kind of person she is."

Bellamy looks at her with pure concern. "Do you think she's the one who started it?"

Clarke shrugs. "I don't know. We don't know each other. I didn't meet her until the night Finn and I broke up, and even then, it wasn't exactly under the best of circumstances. For all I know she could think I'm a horrible person and somehow think this will ruin my life. It's probably ruined my reputation around school, though. Who's going to trust me to still be the sophomore class president after this?"

"We do," Monty and Jasper speak up simultaneously with the most serious looks she's ever seen on their faces.

"And me," Zoe adds with a small smile.

"So do I," Harper agrees. "And I'm sure a lot of other sophomores do too. This isn't the end of your high school career, Clarke."

She sighs heavily. "No, I know that. Deep down I know that. It's just all happening so fast, you know? I was still wrapping my head around the fact that I'm having a baby and now everyone else knows...it's a lot to deal with."

Bellamy smiles softly at her. "Well, you're not in it alone, Clarke. You know I'm always here for you. And so is everyone else."

"Don't lump me into a group with you guys," Murphy interjects.

Clarke stifles a laugh when Bellamy shoots Murphy a glare.

Murphy sighs. "Fine. I'm here too. Or whatever."

The warning bell rings a second later, startling them all out of their conversation. Everyone gathers their things and makes their way out of the cafeteria toward their first class of the day.

Clarke takes one final deep breath and then heads to class, doing her best to mentally prepare herself for whatever confrontations are bound to happen. She'd prefer they wouldn't, but she knows it's inevitable, people like to be in the know about what's going on. And that's especially true for high schoolers.

.

.

.

The school day has barely even started and Clarke's already exhausted. Not just from being pregnant (though that is a big part of it), but also from all the looks she keeps getting from other students, not to mention the whispered conversations and laughing that happens whenever she's nearby. It's infuriating, to say the least. She wants to say something, or do something, but she knows if she lashes out it could just make things worse. She can't stoop down to Murphy's level of reacting in tough situations.

"Clarke."

Turning around at Harper's call, she furrows her brows slightly at the other girl. "Hey. Isn't your class–"

"Yeah, but I wanted to check on you and didn't get a chance earlier. Are you sure you're doing okay?"

Clarke lets out a breath. "Honestly, I don't know if I am right now. But I think I will be." She grabs Harper's hand and squeezes it affectionately. "Especially with all of you looking out for me. I couldn't have asked for better friends."

Harper nods once. "Good. Now, I need to know. Is it weird?"

Clarke gives a one-shouldered shrug. "I guess. It's still sort of sinking in. Like in the back of my head, I know that it's happening, but it doesn't entirely feel real yet."

"When do you think it'll start feeling real?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. And hey, you're not mad at me, right? For not telling you as soon as I found out?"

Harper shakes her head. "Of course not. I know you would have told me when you were ready. Besides, it's not like this is something you want to go shouting from the rooftops right now."

Clarke lets out a quiet laugh. "No, it is not. I love this baby already, don't get me wrong, but being a pregnant sixteen-year-old is not exactly something I want to advertise."

"How'd your mom and Marcus take it when you told them?"

"Marcus took it surprisingly well. There was a part of me that thought he was going to be mad or disappointed. Mom on the other hand...she hasn't said a word to me since I told her. She never even said anything when I did tell her."

Harper blinks. "Wow. I'm sorry. Your mom has always been a bit...prickly."

Clarke snorts. "That's an understatement."

"Miss McIntyre, I believe you have another classroom you should be in right now."

They both turn their heads to find Indra standing in the open doorway to her classroom, looking at them pointedly.

"Right, sorry. Uh, I'll see you at lunch, Clarke." Harper flashes her a small smile and then hurries down the hall toward her own class.

Clarke turns toward Indra and throws her an apologetic smile. "I promise it won't happen again."

Indra nods once. "Good." She takes a deep breath and steps fully out of the classroom, pulling the door closed behind her. "Before you go in, I wanted to check in on you. I'm sure you're already aware of the rumor that has been going around the school about you."

Clarke sighs heavily. "Yeah. It's uh...it's not a rumor. I'm pregnant, but the father and I aren't together anymore. He wants nothing to do with any of this, so I'm on my own."

"I don't think 'on your own' is an accurate description, Miss Griffin. You have plenty of friends to help you out."

Clarke nods. "Yeah, I know. I guess it's just the thought of being a single mom at this age that's making me feel like I'm alone. The larger part of my brain knows I'm not completely alone, but it still feels like I am in a way."

"I'm sorry it feels like that for you. Other than that, are you feeling alright?"

"Mostly. I just get nauseous a lot. That's why I haven't been here the last couple of days because of morning sickness."

Indra nods. "I see. Well, if there's anything at all that you need, you let me know, alright? You're one of my best students, Clarke, I want to see you do well."

"I want to see that too. The last thing I want to be known as is the girl who got pregnant and then flunked out of high school. I want to set a good example for this baby for when they're older."

"Then let me help you with that. Even if I don't have you in class next year or the year after, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you keep on top of your grades."

Clarke pulls her lips in tight and nods. "I will."

"Good." She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. "Now then, I think I've left the rest of the class alone long enough. I hope you're prepared for the test we're taking."

Clarke smiles. "I guess we'll find out." She follows Indra into the classroom, ignoring all the eyes on her as she walks to her seat. As soon as she sits down she pulls out a pencil and waits for the tests to be passed out, praying that she is actually prepared.

When the bell rings later for lunch, she's only mildly surprised to find Harper waiting for her outside her classroom. They share a smile and link arms to head down the cafeteria, blending easily into the crowd of students all heading in the same direction.

"So, did you get in trouble for being late to class?" Clarke asks once they're in line for food.

"Not really," Harper tells her. "Just told not to do it again."

"Same here. Indra did want to check on me, though, make sure I'm doing okay. I won't be surprised if Principal Diyoza checks in on me too."

Harper chuckles. "Ooh, good luck with that."

Clarke shrugs. "She's not as bad as everyone thinks she is. She actually gave me some good advice after the whole thing with Finn happened in the cafeteria."

Harper nods. "Ah."

"Yeah. It was weird when it happened, but it was actually kind of nice. In a weird way. Everything about this is weird, honestly. I'm even having my first ultrasound this weekend which is something I never thought I'd be doing until much, much later in life."

Harper perks up with a smile. "You're having your first ultrasound? That's so exciting." Her smile falters. "Wait, I'm allowed to be excited about this, right?"

Clarke smiles and nods. "Yes, Harper, you can be excited."

"Good. Because you're my best friend and I want to be happy for you. You're having a baby."

Clarke lets out a breath and glances down, rubbing one hand over her non-existent baby belly. "Trust me, I know."

So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!